Roses climbed the red brick wall
to kiss the stormy sky. There,
as she watched the petals fall,
he softly whispered one small
promise of devotion. Where
roses climbed the red brick wall,
with grasping thorns, both long and small,
her guarded eyes met his stare.
As she watched the petals fall
around her, she counted all
the reasons she did not care.
Roses climbed the red brick wall.
A thunderclap, sudden squall,
stripped flowers of his love bare.
As she watched the petals fall,
she heard her father call,
and they climbed the garden stair.
Roses climbed the red brick wall
as she watched the petals fall.
© Michael Fay 1989